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Habib would use his sense of humor to ease tensions, occasionally speaking the few words of Arabic he remembered from his childhood to amuse the Lebanese. But knowing full well he had the backing of the President, he could be tough when necessary. At one point, when the Israelis were mounting their relentless attacks on West Beirut, Habib threatened to abandon his mission then and there. The Israelis stopped the attacks, and the talks went on.
"Phil lives on adrenaline," says one U.S. official. "He never gives up." His tenacity and dedication last week earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize by Senator Charles Percy, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a telegram, President Reagan praised Habib for "a truly sterling achievement." Said Reagan to his special envoy:
"You have succeeded against staggering odds."